How honest are you when selling a horse?

AmyMay

AmyMay

Situation normal
Joined
1 July 2004
Messages
66,614
Location
South
Visit site
I only ask as I've talked another person out of comming to see the horse.

Although this particular enquirer was a mother looking for her daughter's first horse - so Thumper would not suit in any way.

However, am I daft to put people off if I am concerned that the horse is not for them????
 
I have never sold a horse but when I do I will be very honest and like you would turn people away that I didn't think were suitable. I would hope If I went to view a horse I could expect the same thing back.
 
Depends on what horse I’m selling and how desperate I am to sell, oh should I have said that.

I do think you are doing the right thing putting people of though if you really don’t think it’s the right horse for them!!!! You want to find the perfect home.
 
[ QUOTE ]
You want to find the perfect home.

[/ QUOTE ]


I do JoBo - the home is very, very important to me.
 
I can't understand how any loving horse owner would want their animal to go to someone who wouldn't be able to cope with him, or will want too much out of him etc. It wouldn't be fair on poor horse! I'm saving up for my own horse and I really really hope whoever I buy from is honest.
 
Often too honest- But it is tricky, one persons plod is anothers sharp strong spooky beast, depending on how they ride, what they are used to, what they expect etc.
 
How honest are you when selling a horse?

Far too honest .. when I sold my hunter in 2007 I was far too honest .. I was convinced he wouldn't pass a vet and priced him accordingly .. whenever people rang I listed his quirks before the fab bits about him .

But he did sell to the first person to view him and passed a 5stage vet with flying colours
laugh.gif
 
I can't lie to save my life. I'v turned down a viewer for a well schooled but strong wizzy 5yo sec D as she said her child was nervous, thanked me for being honest so that was nice
smile.gif
 
Yes, BHP - this mum was grateful for my honesty too. I suppose it's not just the buyers that can be timewasters - it's important that the seller's aren't either.

Mrs M - exactly!
 
I am honest, yup. We had 5 people ring up who just wanted to hack and we just said no - horse is a hunter, and she was priced to sell for that. We basically said that they could get what they actually wanted for much cheaper LOL!
 
I was far too honest and put people off on the phone if I didn't think they were suitable for him, or him for them. I even asked one child to get off which incurred the wrath of mum!

I was selling a pony and I would never have forgiven myself if I had sold an unsuitable pony to a small child and either had ended up getting hurt. I had also owned the pony since weaning and I felt I owed it to him to try and find him a decent home.
 
I tell the truth, but sadly, experience has led me to be sceptical about every darn thing sellers tell me unless I can see it with my own eyes.

I have a yearling up for sale at the moment, ticks most of the boxes appropriate for her age. We are just working on loading which she is a bit funny about.
I could say "Yes, she loads fine" which she does, but she has a hissy fit when the ramp is closed though. So, if they ask if she loads, the answer is affirmative, if they ask how she travels , the answer today would be "like a fly in a jar" So would that make me honest for answering the question they asked, or dishonest for omitting to elaborate? Actually I would tell them that it is a work in progress...see for yourself, there's the trailer.
 
Absolutely not daft putting people off who you dont think would suit your horse. I have had over 35 enquiries about one of mine but Ive only allowed 3 people to view him so far! He's very special to me and is quite particular so I will only let him go to a perfect home
wink.gif
Im not really bothered if I dont sell him though TBH so I can afford to be picky.
 
my aim once i have produced to sell, is to create a long and successful partnership with the new owner! If your not honest you put the horse at risk of bouncing from home to home!!
 
AmyMay - like you we have told people not to come and see the pony - the ad was very honest and made it absolutely crystal clear she is a whizzy showjumping pony not a first pony but we still got people wanting a lead/rein first pony calling. A couple lied about their childrens ability - which was obvious when they arrived - no way was our special pony going to the wrong home - quite apart from the fact the children were clearly terrified!!

My concern is the horses welfare - and I obviously realise that may change when they get them home but if you are honest and do everything you can to find the right home it means you can sleep at night - and hopefully your horse does to.
 
I have been totally honest when selling and have also put people off over the phone eg someone wanting my very whizzy and sharp horse for a teenager who had only been riding for a year. I did find it easier to sell a comp horse as when selling a happy hacker I got a lot of real novices who knew what questions to ask but didn't understand the answers. One even told me the horse was dangerous because he was forward going. Said horse had been hunted by children!
 
my last pony was the type of pony which if you didnt say go, he wasnt going to go. He was very safe, never bolted,bucked,reared,napped,kicked,bit... but had he was a bu**er to jump as he had a nasty stop in him... he would pick up, and then run out! when people came to see him, i said to them you have to get after him, you have to say we are doing this or he simply wont do it. We sold him to a wnderful home, really lovely PC home, with younger brothers and sisters to ride the pony after the boy he was bought for grew out of him. They love him to bits and dont really care he has a stop in him as they play polo and hunt mainly, which is what the pony loved. I felt that if i wasnt honest with potential buyers, he would be sold to someone who just wanted a push button pony and therefore would sell him on, which i really didnt want happening due to his past. It took me about 5 months to find the perfect home, we had many offers from what i felt unsuitable homes, but because of our honesty he is in the best home for him
grin.gif
i think you have to be honest, but maybe you shouldnt be so off putting!?!? but obviously if theyre not suitable, theyre not!
 
I do think its a difficult one because too much upfront honesty can put off a potentially really good home.

When I was selling my young mare I tended to leap in with all the negatives forgetting to mention all the good things. Also agree with another poster that one persons plod is another persons whizzy nutter!

I thought my mare was easy and so was completely taken aback when the mare bucked with the 1st person who tried her! After that I changed the advert to no novices and put off loads of people.

Finally I hit the middle ground and the 2nd person who tried her bought her and absolutely loves and adores her.

Its a fine line I think. Obviously I wanted to find a perfect home for my horse and certainly would always be totally honest if asked a direct question but whether you should kick off with a long list of negatives without prompting I don't know. In the end I tried to assess the buyer on the phone to wheedle out of them their level of competence before deciding to put them off or not!


Just to add I have only sold 2 previous horses. One a top show horse who I thought I had sold to the PERFECT home and who subsequently sold her badly and she ended up a rescue case (it ended well, she went to her original breeder as a broodmare).

The other was a very quirky and difficult 3 year old and I had massive misgivings about the buyers. They still have her 10 years later and love her dearly. I still get an update every christmas!
 
100% honest, as, like yourself, finding a suitable home is always important to me.

I've done the same as you and refused people on the phone wanting to come view. I was selling a rather feisty young TB, who as I stated in the advert, needed an experienced rider...... I had to turn away someone who was crazy keen (he was a very stunning horse) but whose only experience was that they had once shared a cob...
crazy.gif
crazy.gif
 
Yes, unfortunately!!!

I tend to describe the faults and not the really good bits!!
frown.gif


I have put off people, because I want the right and best home for my horse, but I really, really hate selling, and tend to give chapter and verse when they ask!!!
blush.gif


I am brutally honest though, as I would hate anyone to get injured, and want a long term home for mine.
grin.gif
 
I am glad you are honest i wish all sellers were! i have been looking for a new horse for over a month now and i ring them up ask all the questions and think to myself that sounds ok then when you get there its nothing like described
mad.gif
i went to look at one the other day i had pictures sent the lot OMG when i arrived you could not even get in the stable with it for fear of hvaing your arm bitten off! and when she rode it it just wanted to P**S off with her it napped and i just said thanks but no thanks.
ooo.gif
 
Thanks for everyone's responses. I was beginning to wonder if I was being a bit of a muppett.

However, I can't bear the thought of him not ending up in as permanent a home as I can find for him.
 
When asked if a horse bucked i said no, although 7 yrs before she had, once, does that make me a liar?
 
Very, which is why I still have three stood in the field instead of off to their new homes.
Anyone want a 13.2 VERY fizzy BSJA PC superstar jumping pony? ('No sorry, your 8 year old just off the lead rein will not be able to handle her')
.......or a 15.1hh boy that will hack and low level all day but is not ever going to be a competition superstar due to old stifle injury ('No sorry, he will not take you round a 3ft XC course).
......or a 14.2 County show M&M, forward going. ('No sorry, you are not going to be able to put your 5 year old on him').
 
^^^^^^^^^^^^ im suprised you havent sold the 13.2hh, you must be able to find a proper BSJA home for her, the ponies you see in pony classes are all so fired up and they still cope!
 
I think the best thing to do is to stress the positives about the horse that will appeal to the sort of rider that will either cope with its negative points, or that won't be affected by them. For example, if a horse is mad out hunting (I'm not saying yours is), don't market it as a hunter, but tell the truth if anyone expresses an interest in hunting.

Unless its unsound or psychotic a horse will sell at the right price if you tell the truth.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top